1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350. Generously grease two 8- or 9-inch round pans and line with parchment or wax paper circles. Grease paper circles and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.

2. Beat the eggs, milk, and coconut extract with a fork in a bowl and set aside. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a mixer and beat for 30 seconds to combine. With the mixer running on low speed, add the butter one piece at a time; mix until the butter and flour begin to clump together and look sandy and pebbly with some pieces the size of peas after all the butter is added.

3. With the mixer still at the lowest speed, add approximately one cup of the egg mixture then increase the speed to medium high and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the remaining egg mixture in a slow, steady stream. Stop mixer, scrape down sides and bottom of the bowl. Beat again a medium high until thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds.

4. Divide batter equally between two pans; spread to the side of the pans and smooth with a rubber spatula. Bake until cake tops are light gold and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 22-25 minutes (add ~5 minutes for 8-inch rounds). Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the perimeter of the pan to loosen. Invert cakes on to a large plate, peel of the paper and reinvert to cooling rack. Cool completely before icing.

Beat butter in a small bowl until light a fluffy. Add 1 cup powdered sugar, salt, coconut extract and 1 Tbsp coconut milk. Mix slowly as the sugar incorporates then faster as is becomes smooth. Add remaining sugar and coconut milk and repeat mixing. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add more sugar or more milk to achieve desired consistency (but no more than 1/4 sugar or 1 tsp milk). Top with unsweetened, shaved coconut.

This recipe is a variation of Yellow Layer Cake. Just replace coconut extract with vanilla to make the yellow cake and frost with any frosting you like!

Salutations

Planning and making good food can be a drag sometimes, but if you try making new things, it can be like unearthing a pair of hardly-worn, quality shoes at a thrift store for $5. A discovery to be sure.

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